Delirium

Delirium by Lauren Oliver is an interesting piece of fiction. I guess it was rated one of the best 100 books of 2011 by Amazon (if that really means anything). I never read Before I Fall, her debut novel, which also made some lists, so this was my first whirl with Oliver. Whirl. I like that.

 
Set in some sort of close future, Delirium lets the reader in on a world where love is considered a disease, and it must be cured. Amor deliria nervosa the disease is called. At eighteen, people are required to "get the cure," an operation that makes them ultimately different people. One might say boring, or distant. Then, their whole future is pretty much decided. Before the operation, boys and girls are not allowed to mingle and there are strict curfews. Lena is just months away from her operation and actually can't wait. Considering the history of her family, she sees the cure as a way of being normal.

But oh wait, something happens! Can you guess what it is? Yep, she meets a boy (Alex), and then the world as she always knew it goes up in smoke. You know, the typical stuff. Fall in love, and then find out your whole world has been a huge lie. There is a true awakening, like a good 'ol dystopia novel should have. It kind of reminded me of The Hunger Games -- maybe because I just read it. Lena and Katniss both have obvious awakening moments and both worlds are being controlled by powerful forces. But there's no fighting to the death in Delirium.

This was one of the most infuriating books I've read in a long time. It was well written and thought out, but so much happened in this story. It was easy to follow and easy to see where it was going, but I was still so angry. Things built up slowly, and then revelations started to occur, and then bigger ones, and then it ended. Wait, it ended? Just like that!? WTF

And then I found out that this is the first book in a trilogy. Oh, well that makes more sense. And the second book, Pandemonium, doesn't come out until March. *#%$! Then, finally, in 2013, the third book will be released. Needless to say, finding all of that out only further pissed me off. But that's to be expected, I get angry with trilogies.

Though it might be cheesy at times (what young adult book isn't?) and I'm sick of reading about girls who think they're normal and have gorgeous friends to rub it in their face until they find a guy who digs them instead, the premise was still so interesting that I had to keep reading. So read Delirium if you may, but just be prepared to wait a few years to finish the story.

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This book also kind of reminded me of this movie. No dancing + no fun = rebellion





Kevin Bacon, you win